Maybe it’s the Matte Black color that leaves me cold, but I find it hard to get excited about the new SYM Citycom 300i when it’s sitting in my driveway. Its appearance does nothing for me. An old advertising slogan coined for the VW Beetle way back in my youth keeps going through my head: “No style never goes out of style.” However, if I skip over my antipathy for the Citycom’s looks and throw a leg over the saddle – or should I say through the cockpit – the 300i turns from a wallflower into a remarkably competent city scoot.

Thumbing the starter button brings the 262cc Single to life. While the exhaust note isn’t exactly exciting, the engine purrs along pleasantly. The first time pulling away from a stop might surprise the rider with how precipitously the rpms initially drop, but the little mill chugs along easily leaving all but the most insistent traffic behind. Once up to speed, the engine is so smooth that I frequently found myself rolling along at 60 mph instead of my typical 45–50 mph city speed. (If I’d gotten a ticket on the Citycom, I don’t know if I’d be more pissed or embarrassed.) When the time comes to head onto the local interstate, the SYM pulls along and gets up to speed with much less fuss than I expected from an engine this small. However, if traffic conspires to make you roll off the throttle, thus losing momentum, it doesn’t seem as willing to take a second stab at hitting highway speeds.